A Genius's Tale
by Dumbledore'sArmy18
Summary: Laurel, a human unlike others. With an IQ over 160, Laurel O'Shea is still there, keeping everything from the Seeker that inhabits her. When humans find her, it seems like its pure bliss. But how can she be happy if the souls still occupy the human race?
1. An Unwanted Memory

**A/N: Hello there! So I've had this idea in my head for awhile and I'm too impatient to wait. I know there is a lot of Fan Fictions about another O'Shea but here goes my own! :) By the way this is a couple years after the Host. Read and Review.**

**Preface:**

I was stuck inside my own body. Held prisoner in my own mind. Succumbed to watching my whole life waste away without any input on what to do with it. I couldn't speak… well, I could but that was only if _she_ listened. The soul. The soul that stole my body away from _me_. A soul that was supposed to help find the rest of the human race, I had let my body become a _Seeker._ She tried and tried again to find out about my family and where they were, but I wouldn't let her. My mind was on lock down, a wall as strong as the Wall of China and as wide as the earth, stood between us. I wouldn't let her take away my family… no, I wouldn't let her take lives away even if she's convinced herself that it was for the _greater good. _ She hasn't found anything about me except my first name and after six years, I was still inside her mind, waiting for the right moment to take back what was mine… And had been _mine_ for the eleven years before I had gotten caught.

**An Unwanted Memory:**

Seeing Into Flames strode down the aisle of a Walmart in San Francisco. Grocery shopping always filled the soul with pleasant thoughts, which annoyed me more than Seeing Into Flames knew.

_Seventeen year old girls aren't supposed to be shopping for groceries, _I thought to the soul. _This is a mother's job, we should be relaxing, causing mischief, or playing a _nice_ game of soccer. _

I felt Seeing Into Flames stiffen as she always did when I spoke. _Well, since you don't know where your family is then it's this or starve. Or do you know where your family is? Please, tell me, _Seeing Into Flames pleaded for the millionth time. I wasn't going to tell her, she was a_ Seeker._ Besides I didn't know the answer exactly. My family hadn't had a game plan when we were on the run, so I stayed silent, which I could tell pleased the soul.

She didn't like my being there with her, which only made my stay more vital. It had been six years since my capture and still all she had gotten from me was my first name. I didn't even share my high intellect, meaning I didn't let her know that I actually had an IQ over 160, but I suppose it was higher then since I had tested when I was five. My parents had always bragged that I had been born a genius.

The soul walked down the aisle and stopped at a section, reading the labels. She reached for a bright blue bag with an overdramatic label that read _Lima Beans. _If I could have spat with disgust I would have. Nauseated, I thought to her, _You know I'm allergic to Lima Beans, right?_

Once again the Seeker became rigid at my thought. Unbelieving, she replied, _Are you serious? But they are so healthy._

_ I'm dead serious. Besides why would I want us to get sick?_

_ Us? This is my body now, Laurel, might as well get out._

My anger flared and I snapped, _Technically, it was mine first. I was living in it for eleven years before you came along and had to ruin everything._

_ Why are you still here? I mean, obviously I'm not going anywhere. I'm sorry._

We had been over this millions of times; it was another subject she always pursued. I preferred to keep my reasons away from her but I was irritated so I told her. _I stay for my family's safety. And I stay because I don't want to die of something I can prevent, and no way am I leading you to my family, otherwise you and your Seeker buddies would go steal _their _lives, too. I'd rather be tortured to death then be the cause of that catastrophe._

Seeing Into Flames scowled and shoved the lima beans back onto the shelf. She continued to stroll up the aisle before thinking, _You humans are odd. And violent. You never deserved such a lovely place, you are all so nasty and frightening._

I sighed mentally. _Not all humans are alike, you know we are sort of like snowflakes. None of us are the same and we aren't all bad. The good balanced out the bad, can't you see that? Why couldn't you just leave us alone…? There was still hope, mind you. _

_ I doubt that. You would've all killed yourselves and everything beautiful around you. Now will you please leave? _

I was silent for awhile and she got a rush of joy, thinking I had really disappeared. It was hard staying but I wasn't about to leave no matter what she threw at me. So I thought to the soul, _I thought souls were all things good, but all they are is body-snatchers, who take and never give, though they may say they do. You take advantage of a world's population… even if that population deserves a life, too. I thought my kind was bad but _yours_ sickens _me.

I could feel her pain as my venomous words sank in. Worst of all was when she realized I was speaking my own truths. Then I was done with her so I built a wall bigger then the one I had been making and hid myself from her.

**...**

After shopping Seeing Into Flames went out of the Walmart at nearly nightfall. The sun was low in the sky, only just lighting up the California land. The Walmart was slightly out of town, so the store was almost empty at that hour, except for a large truck and a car parked across the lot from Seeing Into Flames' red _Prius._

The soul slowed up when she caught sight of the group. There were two shady looking men hanging around the van, whispering almost angrily to each other, but souls don't get angry. She was suspicious, and I felt it, too. I hoped that they weren't humans, for the sake of their freedom.

Seeing Into Flames thrust her groceries into her car then marched over to the men, flashlight in hand. I wanted to scream a warning to the humans, because now I realized they were indeed arguing. But the Seeker inside me held me at bay, which angered me more.

As she approached the men looked up with the light dancing in their eyes. There was no silver ring. But as Seeing Into Flames looked at them I recognized them almost instantly. My brothers, Kyle and Ian, stood before me, looking as burly as ever, but I couldn't touch them or talk to them. I wanted so badly to shriek at them to get out of there, but they just stood there, gaping at me.

They looked the same really; same midnight blue eyes all the O'Shea's shared, same tanned skin, which matched my own skin perfectly, same hair color though theirs was much darker than mine. I had gotten my mother's blond hair. I was tall like them, and lean, too. Muscles were a trait in our family. It seemed we had all been built to be athletes.

"Boys, please come with me. You won't evading insertion any longer," Seeing Into Flames said unsuccessfully calm. Her voice quivered and it wasn't something I wanted _my _voice to do.

But the two men just continued to gawk at me, remembering the night the same night I was remembering. Suddenly Seeing Into Flames froze as I showed her the ending I had been keeping from her since the day I was inserted.

_ We had been running a long time and I was tired. Tired of everything. I wished for my old world back, where I could play soccer with my family and live in peace and harmony._

_ "Come on, Laurel! Seekers are on there way, we have to get out of here," Kyle whispered to her frantically. _

_ "I'm so tired, Kyle, so tired," I replied._

_ "Want me to carry you?" Kyle panted as they continued to sprint down the road. _

_ "No," I snapped, "I'm fine. I'm fine."_

_ It was dark out, pitch black to be exact. I could hardly see the road we were following and I was nearly out of steam, but I didn't want to say anything to my brother. That night my pride was in the way and I knew it, too. _

_ "Your slowing down, Lauri," Ian noticed, using his nickname for me. He grabbed my arm and started to drag me along. His legs were longer than mine then, considering I was only eleven._

_ Suddenly there was a shrill _bang_ from behind us. Then I was hit with the sharpest pain in my leg and tripped and fell. _

_ I shrieked as I saw flashlights nearing our group. The parasites were yelling sorry or something like that and how the gun had discharged by accident. The pain shot up my leg and I whispered to my brothers, who were standing stalk still, staring at me, "Go. Go to Jeb's."_

_ "No… No, we aren't leaving you," Ian murmured. He and Kyle wore the same shocked and sad look, but I couldn't let my injury take away three lives. I was determined that only one life would be lost that night, _mine.

_ "You will go _now._ Just leave me… Someday, someday, I'll see you again. And remember I love you, guys. This invasion can't last forever," I told them. A tear escaped my eyes and theirs, too. I wiped the tear away and raised my voice to shout, "Now go! Please, for my sake, go! Go to Jeb's…"_

_ Ian bent down gave my cheek a swift kiss then whispered, "I love you, sis. Please, don't forget us."_

_ "I love you, too, Laurel," Kyle spoke softly._

_ Then both of my brothers sprinted off into the forest, escaping the Seekers easily. I saw Kyle turn around one last time, blue eyes meeting another pair. He nodded to me, another tear trailing down his cheek and raced into the forest after Ian._

_ Then I blacked out._

When we were pulled away from the unwanted memory, I could feel the sadness envelope me and Seeing Into Flames. I could also see the pain the eyes of my brothers.

"Lauri," Ian whispered. Then he came at Seeing Into Flames and me with a rag that smelled oddly like chloroform. Then, for the second time in six years, Seeing Into Flames and I blacked out.

**A/N: Reviews, please. Thanks! :)**


	2. Interrogations

**A/N: Here's the next chapter! Read, Review, and, of course, enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: Its Stephenie Meyer's, not mine.**

**Interrogations:**

Seeing Into Flames and I became conscious a couple of hours—or that's what it felt like—later. We awoke in what I thought was some sort of room, but it was dark so it was hard to tell. Seeing Into Flames sat up, blinking through the darkness, trying to see where she was.

_It's pointless,_ I told her.

Again she stiffened at my thought, which was another pointless thing. I'd been there for six years and you'd think she would get used to me being there but apparently not.

_Where do you think we are? _I asked more to myself than the soul.

_I don't know… The humans! They took me and they're going to kill me! _She thought, terrified. I could feel her hands trembling, my anger flared.

_You shouldn't be afraid, my brothers would _never_ hurt me, _I snarled.

_Just get out of my head! _Seeing Into Flames cried desperately.

_It _isn't _your bloody head! It's mine._

_ You have ruined this life for me, _she thought as tears plummeted down her cheeks. _You know this was only my second life, right?_

I would have laughed wickedly if I could, all the anger that had been stored up in my mind suddenly broke loose. I shot back acidly, _If you wanted your life to be pleasant then you shouldn't have messed with an O'Shea._

_ I didn't choose your body, Laurel._

_ Yet you are taking my freedom away from me without my consent right now._

Seeing Into Flames remained silent, but I could feel all the fear and disgust towards humans saturate her mind. The tension between us had grown almost tangible, and the darkness in the room did not help relieve us either. The soul's thoughts took a sudden twist, she thought of the disappearances of souls in the area. She let out a small whimper, in hopes that the humans wouldn't torture her like the animals they were.

_We aren't all vermin you realize that, right? _I thought to her, my mind's voice sharp and clipped.

_But you are! They will be coming any second to shoot me, _she thought dejectedly.

_HAVEN'T YOU BEEN LISTENING TO ME? _I yelled, making her jump in fright. _As I have said millions of times, humans are not the same. We are not all violent, some us despised war and all that kind of crap. But sometimes peacefulness isn't the right approach to situations because sometimes what you need cannot be found in any other way than violence. Can't you see? We humans _had _to fight back since we couldn't very well talk it over with you parasites otherwise the Seekers would have just taken us to get our freedom stolen. And—_

My speech was abruptly cut off as we heard footsteps coming towards us. A bright light spread throughout the room, and I noticed that it was a cave of sorts. It was an intriguing hide out, I mean, I thought it was pretty clever.

Then I noticed the people, who had come in with a flashlight in both of there hands. The man was tall and lean, and I knew the second I saw him with his blue eyes that he was my brother, Ian. I nearly soared with happiness. He was safe and he knew that I was still alive… well, at least he knew that my body was still safe.

Next to Ian was a woman. She was small and dainty though she had some muscle, too. Then light flashed before her eyes, lighting up the silver circles around her pupils. My brother… with an alien? I was confused, perplexed. Being confused was usually uncommon in my vast mind but this phenomenon just vexed me in the most irritating way.

"Hello," the woman soul greeted us kindly. She stepped forward and held out her hand. I wanted to flinch away, but Seeing Into Flames felt no threat with another soul though she was frightened of the large man looming in the shadows.

Ian wore a sad expression, putting a damper on my good mood. I wished he would cheer up, besides I was still here and I remembered him just as he requested.

"You're Ian," Seeing Into Flames said tentatively. The frown that had inhabited Ian's face deepened as his eyes became hazy.

_Why did you say that? _I thought to her bitterly. _You made him upset, now he thinks I've disappeared._

The soul didn't answer but continued to gawk at Ian.

"Yes, this is Ian," the woman said. "And I am Wanderer, though I prefer to be called Wanda. What's your name?"

Seeing Into Flames trained her gaze back to Wanda. Then she answered, "Seeing Into Flames."

"Nice to meet you, Seeing Into Flames. I assume you come from the Fire World, with a name like that?"

She nodded. Wanda then glanced back to Ian, giving him a meaningful look. He nodded, his already distraught face, creasing in worry and depression.

"Seeing Into Flames," Wanda addressed the other soul, "is _she _still there?"

I could feel the soul widen her eyes and ask, "Who?"

_You very well know who, _I told her. _Me!_

"Laurel, you know, the girl whose body you where? Is she still there… in your mind?"

Seeing Into Flames blinked as I told her, _Tell her yes. Tell her I'll be here until the end, no matter what!_

I could feel the soul's overwhelming emotions boil through her. She felt sad, oddly happy, guilty, and an uncontrollable want to lie. _You can't lie, _I snapped, _you lie worse than me!_

She took a deep breath before saying in a voice so quiet both Ian and Wanda leaned to hear her.

"Yes, she is."

The pair gasped and shared another significant look. "Is she strong?" Wanda inquired.

Seeing Into Flames replied, "I guess… I don't really know."

"Does she ever speak to you?"

_Whoa, it's like she knows, _I thought elatedly.

"Yes," Seeing Into Flames said, "all the time."

_You got that right,_ I practically sang with joy. I could see the look of jubilation on my brother's face, and again I was flying with pleasure. He knew I was alive and he knew I hadn't forgotten him, that I stayed just for him and Kyle.

"Is she saying something right now?"

_Tell Ian I love him, and Kyle too, _I demanded. _Oh, and tell him I never forgot them. Thank you!_

Seeing Into Flames pursed her lips. "She says that she loves Ian and Kyle and she says that she never forgot them."

Ian beamed. "Love you, too, sis."

I was elated more so than before. I felt an abnormal amount of power surge through me and suddenly I was back. Back in control, back to myself. I could feel my fingers… but it didn't last, I was pushed back the moment Seeing Into Flames comprehended what was happening.

_It's still mine, Laurel, _the soul reminded me. _Remember that._

"What do you want to do, Ian?" Wanda asked my brother, obviously not noticing the little exchange between me and Seeing Into Flames.

"Let's do it," Ian said, his eyes never leaving my face.

"Alright. Where's the chloroform?"

Seeing Into Flames panicked, thinking they were going to shoot her. _Idiot, my brother would rather die himself then lift a finger at me, _I thought more viciously then I meant.

The soul didn't have time to reply because at that second her face was covered with another rag that had been doused in chloroform. The next second, we blacked out.

**A/N: Hope you liked it! Reviews would be simply wonderful! **


	3. Reunion

**A/N: Here is the next chapter, Enjoy and review! Oh and by the way thanks for the reviews I've gotten so far, don't hesitate to keep writing them. :)**

**DISCLAIMER: Sadly, I still do not own the Host that honor goes to Stephenie Meyer.**

**Reunion: **

I awoke to silence in my head. That was the first sign I knew something was different. The second was when I felt the rhythm of my breath; I could feel it go up and down in a perpetual beat. The third was when I realized I could wiggle my fingers and my toes.

_Seeing Into Flames? _I asked in my thoughts.

Nothing. Absolute silence.

"Lauri," a familiar voice called. "Come back to us, Lauri."

I knew that voice, it was… Ian's! Everything came back to me, and when I was ready, my eyes fluttered open. I was sleeping on a rather uncomfortable cot in what looked like an infirmary within a large cave.

"Lauri!" Ian shouted happily as he saw my open eyes.

I blinked, perplexed. "What happened?" I asked, sitting up. That's when I noticed all the people surrounding me. Well, actually, it was just three, but still I wasn't used to my own kind surrounding me. Two of the visitors around me I recognized. They were my beloved brothers, Ian and Kyle. They beamed at me and I couldn't help but smile back.

"Ian!" I exclaimed. "Kyle! Oh, I've missed you!"

"Hey, Lauri," Kyle said happily, "how are you feeling?"

"Wonderful! Spectacular! Marvelous!" I cried, grinning at them.

"Good to hear," the third man said with a kind smile. "I'm Doc and you are Laurel O'Shea, right? Your brothers never mentioned they had a sister."

I looked at my brothers, both wearing a guilty expression. "Yeah, I'm Laurel," I replied, and then turning to my brothers, I said a bit insulted though more jokingly, "Half-wits, why didn't you tell anyone? I'm hurt."

"Don't worry, sis! You're smart enough for the both of us," Kyle responded. "You'll be alright."

I smiled, thinking of how happy I was to see them and joking around with them made me remember the old times… before I had gotten myself caught.

"Excuse me, Lauri," Ian said in mock irritation, "but I believe Kyle is the only—as you say—half-wit here."

I laughed as Kyle punched Ian in the shoulder. I stopped quickly, remembering my earlier question.

"What happened?" I asked the two seriously. "To Seeing Into Flames, I mean."

Ian was the one who answered, "We took her out, of course. You know Wanda, right?"

"Yes, she was the soul who asked Seeing Into Flames the questions."

Ian nodded and continued, "She taught us how to take souls out properly, so far we've only gotten a few humans back, but the human resistance is growing."

I pursed my lips before asking, "But… why? Why would she do that? She is a soul, isn't she?"

Doc answered, "Yes, but she—you could say—had a change of heart. Apparently she agrees that humans deserve their planet back."

I nodded, still not fully comprehending. Could a soul change their mind? Were they even capable to such drastic change in opinion?

"That's positively fascinating, I've never heard of such phenomenon," I muttered more to myself than anyone else.

"Yes, Wanda is a phenomenon," Ian said brightly, maybe a bit brighter than usual. I raised an eyebrow, which made his cheeks flush and he wouldn't meet my probing eyes. _Intriguing,_ I thought.

It was silent for a few awkward moments before we heard voices coming from out of the tunnel, which seemed to be a makeshift door in the caves. Two women appeared in the doorway, one was Wanda, small and pretty, the other was a tanned woman, who looked tough, strong and human.

"So this is Laurel O'Shea," the tough woman said, approaching me with a smile. "I'm Melanie Stryder."

She shook my hand. "Nice to meet you."

Wanda settled to standing towards the back, and I had a feeling I knew why. I could see the silver circles around her eyes from my spot at the bed. _She's afraid I'll lash out,_ I thought. _Well, I'm not surprised with the violent brothers I have. Or at least Kyle._

"And I think you know me, right?" Wanda asked tentatively.

I nodded before adding, "Yes, you're Wanda, the soul that has… gone local, if I may say."

Wanda looked as if she was stifling laughter. I cocked my head confused, a feeling I'd been getting a lot. "I met another soul that had 'gone local' except he said it differently… he said he'd 'gone native'," she explained.

I grinned. "I like the sound of that."

Wanda drew nearer to my bed hesitantly, but when I didn't protest or flinch, she came up beside Ian, who looked infatuated with Wanda. I put on a sly smirk then asked, "Is there something you want to tell me, bro?"

He sputtered frantically, "I… she is, you know… her…uh."

Wanda looked worried but I gave her a reassuring smile that said very clearly _I'm just messing with him; after all he is my brother._

"So… Friend? Girlfriend? Fiancé? Wife?" I asked rapidly. "Come on, Ian, spit it out."

"She's my fiancé for your information," he snapped though he was grinning, which cancelled out his "angry" tone.

Wanda beamed gleefully as I spoke to her, "Well I guess that makes us sister-in-laws of sorts, hmm?"

"I guess," she answered cheerfully _I like this girl, she is absolutely perfect for Ian! _I thought, _even if she is a soul. She is at least a sympathetic soul._

Then there was another pair of voices coming from the tunnel and then suddenly they appeared. This time it was two men, one young, another old. I realized the old one was Jeb almost immediately, I had seen pictures—and though he looked younger in them I could still tell—but the younger man I didn't have a clue who he was, yet his and Melanie's looks were alike. _They must be siblings._

"Well, hello there, Laurel O'Shea," Jeb said merrily. "I'm Jeb, and this here is Jamie Stryder. I see you've met his sister, Melanie."

I nodded. He continued, "So anyway welcome to my caves, and I hope you find we are quite hospitable."

"Of course," I replied. "Thanks a million for letting me stay, too."

"Sure, sure, hon. Anyways, if your feeling up to it, I'll show you around the caves?"

"Yeah. That's sounds good," I paused. "Are there other, you know, people my age?"

"Yep, Jamie, here," Jamie waved, smiling slightly, "and Holly, who isn't here right now. You'll meet her later. So after my tour I'll let Jamie take you to school, where you'll meet the rest of the kids."

My jaw dropped, gaping at the man in front of me. Then I twisted around to look at my brothers. They simply shrugged.

"I know, I know. You must be thinking that we don't need to learn what with the apocalypse and all, but education is power so you're gonna learn," Jeb said sternly, misinterpreting my puzzlement.

"No, no, that's not what I meant," I said quickly. He just looked at me weirdly, so I continued, "I mean, under certain circumstances, I doubt that _I _personally need to attend class. I'm not cocky or arrogant, but I'm quite certain… serious as a heart attack that I do _not _need anymore teaching, maybe just a brush up that's all. Am I being eloquent or have I just baffled you even more with this nervous prattling that I… am continuing right now?"

Everyone just gawked at me, except, of course, Ian and Kyle, who were trying to ignore my anxious babbling. "Uhh… may I ask why you're gazing at me? Gawking? Peering? Ogling? Gaping?"

They just continued to look at me with different degrees of confusion and surprise. I turned again to my brothers, glaring at them, knowing they didn't tell them about my "special" brain.

"Sorry, Lauri," Ian said guiltily. "I didn't think they would make you go to school since your seventeen."

I scowled. "Well, then shall we tell them, then?"

"Tell us what exactly?" Melanie asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes at all the O'Shea's.

"Well… did we… er… ever mention that my sister's a genius?" Kyle uttered softly and hesitantly.

"No," Melanie said slightly facetiously, "you failed to."

Everyone again turned to face me, but this time with fascination. I flushed; I usually didn't like that much attention. I wasn't one to bask in the limelight that was for others.

"Ooookay," Jeb said, breaking the silence. "Well, we'll figure stuff out later, but for now, let's go on the tour!"

**A/N: Yay! Reviews, please! :)**


	4. Tour

**A/N: I'm really **_**really **_**sorry about the delay! I've been in California, then our house's internet was down, and then I had writer's block… so I'm really sorry! Anyway I hope you enjoy and review! **

**DICLAIMER: The Host is still Stephenie Meyer's, not mine.**

**Tour:**

In the caves, it was dark, well, only in the tunnels. It seemed as if they were like halls and corridors. I followed Jeb through the tunnels and suddenly we were spit into an atrium of sorts. A square field was in the middle of the room; it was filled with bright green plants, growing steadily in the brilliant light. I gasped, glancing at the ceiling but it blinded me.

"What's up there?" I asked, struggling to see what made the light so dazzlingly bright.

Jeb grinned widely. "I put up mirrors! The light was too dim without them so I thought mirrors would do just fine!"

"Amazing! That's incredibly clever," I told him and it was true. It was smart to put them up, more light was always a good thing especially for the crops I could see in the fields. People were in the field hoeing and raking and just generally working hard, but they did occasionally glance at me interestedly. I nodded at them, though I felt my face go slightly hot at more undesired attention.

Jeb stood up straight, throwing his chest out proudly. "You flatter me, hon!"

"What are you growing here?" I asked, peering at the plants and trying desperately to ignore the wondering eyes.

"Spinach and carrots," and when I made a face, he said, "Ha! I know. Spinach isn't the most _appealin'_ vegetable in the world, but it's one of the few that will grow here."

I nodded, thanking the heavens that I was allergic to them. Jeb then walked around the garden and into another tunnel. I followed him, but then I remembered a question I'd had earlier. "So, Jeb, what exactly happened to Seeing Into Flames?"

Jeb was silent for a moment before he answered, "Put her in a cryotank, and—"

"That's the tanks that carry souls from planet to planet, right?"

"Mhmm. Anyway, Wanda sent her to the Dolphin World, should be a pleasant place from what Wanda's told us, and by the time she gets there you're grand children will be long dead, so don't you worry about her telling the souls about humans."

I nodded. For some odd reason I was happy they didn't just kill her. Then I realized if they had killed her, Seeing Into Flames' antics about humans being barbaric would have been proven true. Then I analyzed the rest of what he said. _…should be a pleasant place from what Wanda's told us…_ What had he meant by that?

"What do you mean what Wanda has told you?" I asked, pacing myself next to him. I saw his face split into a grin.

"Wanda teaches us about the souls sometimes in the kitchens," he said. "It's mighty interestin'. And well, if your brothers weren't kiddin' when they said you were a genius than I think you'll find it interestin', too."

"Are you serious? I would love to attend!"

"Of course, of course! But after yer tour!"

The tour continued. He showed me the sleeping quarters, which I found out I would be sleeping with the girl named Holly, who Jeb had mentioned earlier, the washing rooms, which was interesting to see with the underground river, the storage rooms and then finally he led me to the kitchen. By the time we had entered it, people were gathering for a hardy meal. Seeing food and everyone stuffing there mouths made my stomach rumble loudly. I clutched it, trying to shut it up.

"Yer hungry? Well, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, you haven't exactly eaten in awhile," Jeb said, dragging me in between the filled tables to a counter, where food was being served. "I hope you don't have your brothers' appetite; I don't think we have enough fer _three_ O'Shea's."

I laughed, knowing my brothers, they probably inhaled more food than they weighed. Jeb handed me a tray of food and I turned, searching for Ian and Kyle. From the other side of the kitchen I caught sight of them. I maneuvered through the room and at last I sat next to Ian, a grin on my face. It was nice to be back.

"Hey, Lauri," Ian greeted me, ruffling my hair lovingly. Along with Kyle and Ian sat Wanda and another woman. She looked familiar… and then I remembered her.

"Jodi!" I exclaimed, looking at her with excitement. I remembered when she had been captured, Kyle had been so broken up, the worst I'd ever seen him. But suddenly the light caught her eyes and I saw the silver ring around her pupils; I gasped and dropped the fork that I had picked up.

Kyle examined my reaction nervously. "Uh… Laurel, this is Sunny, Sunny, this is Laurel."

Sunny smiled timidly at me and held out her hand. I took it, feeling too formal. I still continued to gape at her. I couldn't believe it, Jodi hadn't come back. That much was obvious to my vast mind.

"Uh… hi," I said tensely. There was an awkward silence that was only broken when Melanie, Jamie, and another unrecognizable man came to sit next to us.

"Hey, everyone," Jamie greeted cheerily. He glanced at me and smiled, and I couldn't help but smile back.

"I'm Jared Howe," the unfamiliar man said, smiling at me.

_Boy am I the popular one today,_ I thought before answering, "Laurel O'Shea."

"Nice to meet you," Jared said kindly then he went to talking to Melanie. It took me only a second to figure out I was surrounded by couples. I groaned, but no one seemed to hear me except Jamie.

He nodded sympathetically. "I know. You'll get used to it later."

I looked at him doubtfully. "I sincerely doubt that. Man, even Kyle…"

"I know," Jamie nodded again. "Just think what it was like for me before I had anyone to talk to… dear God, I thought I was going to vomit every second of the day."

I chuckled softly, eating. "What about Holly? Do you talk to her?"

Jamie shrugged. "She isn't really the talkative type."

"I see. I'm sharing a room with her and I'm trying to decide whether that is a good or bad thing…"

"Oh, don't get me wrong, Holly is incredibly nice but she's also shy."

I nodded. "So how old are you?"

"Seventeen. You?"

"Same," I paused and smiled. "This is brilliant. At least, there is someone my age. I was beginning to be apprehensive about that."

"Yeah, it got pretty lonely for awhile. I've been here for four or five years and Holly's only been here a year."

"Oh, man. That must have been dreadfully dull."

"It was, I guess. Sometimes, but there are other kids though they are much younger than you and I."

We stayed silent for a little while, consuming our lunch, for I figured it was lunch with the sun so high in the sky. Glancing up at the sky through the tiny breathing holes, I calculated it to be almost twelve or twelve thirty.

"So are you going to go to Sharon's school?" Jamie asked, looking at me hopefully.

"Um… I dunno. I don't really _need _to. I pretty much have everything memorized… But I guess I do need a bit of a brush up…"

Jamie nodded, but didn't say anything. I got the feeling he was hoping I would go with him, maybe the teacher was horrible.

"Is the teacher that bad?" I asked him. He stood up and I stood with him, walking to discard the trays. We left them on the counter before starting to walk towards the tunnel.

Jamie said, "Won't know until you meet her. Come on!"

Then he began to laugh, towing me behind him to a mysterious—and possibly severe—teacher.

**A/N: Hope you liked it! Reviews would be marvelous! And I'm really sorry about the late update. **


	5. Eavesdropping

**A/N: Here is the next chapter! By the way thank you for the reviews, I forgot to say that last time!**

**DISCLAIMER: Stephenie Meyer still owns the Host, not me.**

**Eavesdropping:**

By the time Jamie and I made it to the school, we were both drenched in sweat. The protection of the caves was simply not enough in the dry desert heat; all my life I had lived in Oregon or northern California and I had never felt so hot. Both of us panting, we walked into another cave, smaller than the main plaza but it was definitely not like the sleeping quarters.

"Ah, Jamie. It's nice of you to finally join us," a severe looking woman said sharply. She stood in front of a small group of children, each of them tanned like any other desert dweller. They stared at me strangely as we walked in, and I couldn't help feeling slightly self-conscious. "Who is this, Jamie?"

Jamie grimaced. "This is Laurel O'Shea. You know Ian and Kyle's sister?"

She nodded then walked up to me, holding out a bony hand, saying, "I'm Sharon, the school teacher."

I took her hand, feeling as if I was being examined by a hungry vulture. "Uh… hi."

"So, Sharon, Laurel is… um…" Jamie peered at me; I shrugged. "She's a genius."

Sharon rounded on him, narrowing her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Like I'm good with numbers and have an extremely good memory," I answered as she turned to look at me as if I was lying or something else completely unrealistic. I was an awful liar.

"Okay… can you tell me what you get if you multiply 26 by 30.5?" she asked, making the numbers up off the top of her head.

It was an easy calculation. I could probably accomplish it in my sleep, it was that easy. It took me less than ten seconds to figure it out before I was replying, "793."

Sharon frowned, pulled a calculator out of her pocket and figured the numbers. The answer was the same number I gave her. She nodded then spit out another set of numbers, "444 divide by 11."

My lips began to curve upwards as I quickly calculated it. I answered offhandedly, "40.36 repeating."

Sharon clicked the buttons on the calculator, coming up with the same answer I had given her. Both Jamie and Sharon were gaping at me with mixtures of admiration and shock. I thought Sharon would react like this but Jamie already knew I was a genius, yet sometimes the news never sunk in until people had a demonstration.

"Do you know your history?" Sharon asked, still gawking at me, which made me incredibly uncomfortable.

"Sure, of course," I told her. All the useless dates and events from the US history flashed before my mind, completely consuming my brain. The US did indeed make a lot of history that is until the alien invasion.

"How much of it?"

"All of it."

Sharon looked delighted. "Are you serious? Do you know your English Literature? Have you read Shakespeare? Jane Austen?"

"Of course, all of them. Ian and Kyle used to steal books for me on the run."

Sharon nearly let out a squeal though not because of the stealing part. Jamie looked incredulous and the rest of the kids, who sat on the chairs scattered around the room, plainly looked unbelieving.

"Brilliant! You can just sit in this one class then I'll have an idea on where you are."

I nodded. Sharon then twisted around and went back to the front of the room. The children, who had started slouching, straightened themselves and tried to look prompt. Jamie beckoned for me to sit next to him and a girl with dark caramel skin, squinted brown eyes, and long, black hair.

"This is Holly, Laurel, and, Holly, this is Laurel," Jamie whispered as Sharon began to teach. I smiled at the girl, she smiled back. Already I knew what Jamie had meant by her being quiet, for some reason she just had an aura of solitude.

"Quiet, Jamie," Sharon called to us shrilly. Jamie scowled and when Sharon turned her back, he rolled his eyes at me.

The rest of the afternoon was filled up with Sharon's droning voice. I listened, of course, but every subject was something I already knew by heart. Many times Sharon called on me to answer the question and always I had the answer ready and she would praise me while I got to listen to Jamie groan. By the end of the lesson, I could tell Sharon was really unfair to Jamie, though I was uncertain why.

"Well, that was fun," Jamie said sardonically, after class and after Sharon had left the school.

"She likes to pick on you, doesn't she?" I said with a smile.

"Not just me. _Everyone!_" he held his arms up widely, indicating the largeness of 'everyone'.

I laughed and Holly giggled quietly. Holly was tall, I realized. I hadn't even noticed when she was sitting in a chair. I was pretty tall and so was Jamie but she towered over both of us.

"I'll see you later. Jamie. Laurel," Holly said softly, and left without out a single sound on the cavern floor.

"See, pretty quiet," Jamie said, staring after her.

"I suppose," I said, thinking of something completely different. I wondered if Jamie fancied Holly, yet I couldn't help not liking the idea so I simply discarded the thought.

"So anyway, wanna go get dinner?" Jamie offered, gesturing to the tunnel. I nodded, so we began to pick our way back to the kitchen.

"Are you sure Sharon doesn't like _everyone?_" I asked, a smile creeping up my lips.

"Well, she sure fancies Doc," Jamie said with a smile. That one surprised me, and I'm not easily surprised. Doc wasn't the first person I would think Sharon to like, but in odd way, it made the tiniest bit of sense.

"Oh, no. I wasn't thinking of that sort of thing," I said, grinning now. "You know, Jamie, she isn't all bad. She seemed quite pleasant to me."

Jamie rolled his eyes and said, "Oh, shut up, Laurel."

I laughed as we walked into the kitchen, the air filling with the smells of dinner. We grabbed our dinner from the counter and sat at an empty table. There weren't many people in the kitchen, only a few were eating dinner. I assumed most were still in the field or doing other means of work.

"I am _so_ hungry!" Jamie exclaimed, digging into his meal heartily.

"You're like my brothers," I said. "They used to eat practically a _whole_ turkey at Thanksgiving while the rest of us shared just one."

He laughed. "I can see that. But hey, I'm a growing boy."

"That's what they all say, including my brothers."

"Telling embarrassing stories about me, Lauri?" Kyle asked. He and Sunny came to sit with us, each carrying trays as well.

"Always!" I trilled, smiling broadly. They settled in their seats and began eating. We talked for awhile, laughing, eating. The caves were so happy and relaxed, it was intoxicating.

Halfway through dinner, I began to wonder where Ian and Wanda were, so I sat up and scanned the kitchen. Across the room, I spotted them sitting next to Melanie and Jared. Why they didn't come to sit with us escaped me completely.

"I'll be right back," I told my table. I stood, leaving my tray, and sauntered casually to the table. The foursome at the table, I noticed, was deeply immersed in a heated conversation, oblivious to their surroundings. When I approached the table, they didn't even acknowledge my presence. I was about to call Ian's name when I caught a snippet of their conversation.

"…seems to really like Laurel, doesn't he?" Ian was saying though he had disgruntled expression on. I knew eavesdropping was rude, but this conversation intrigued me so I stayed as silent as I could. It was easy pretending not to be there; the kitchen was loud and the quartet at the table was unaware of the world around them.

"Yeah. Jamie won't be so lonely anymore, that's a good thing," Wanda said, smiling like a proud sister.

Melanie sighed. "I don't know… I guess it would be nice to see him have someone to hang out with, but romance…"

"Come on, Mel, he's seventeen. He has to grow up sometime," Jared pointed out, rubbing Melanie's arm comfortingly.

I was completely stunned. They were talking about me and Jamie… as if we were already a couple? It was unbelievable. I had just met the boy three or four hours ago, not even a full day. _Jumping to conclusions,_ I thought.

"Hold on a minute, what if _I _don't like it?" Ian asked roughly. _Ahh,_ I thought irritably. _He's playing the protective brother._

Wanda pursed her lips. "Oh, Ian," she sighed, shaking her head.

I decided that I had heard enough. I went back to my table to finish my dinner. I didn't speak much, because for the millionth time that day, I was confused. And you know how I hate being confused.

**A/N: Well, hope you enjoyed it! Reviews, please. :) **


	6. Dream

**A/N: I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting for such a long time! I just was caught up in a lot of things—more specifically soccer tryouts, practices, and school—but I shall hopefully update more often. Anyway, read and review! **

**DISCLAIMER: Stephenie Meyer is the wonderful author of the Host, not me.**

**Dream:**

I felt weightless, soaring over empty lands. I had always wanted to fly, without a plane or shuttle to assist me. Just me. Flying. The feeling is pure bliss with the wind flying through my undone hair. But, all too suddenly, the feeling ceased and I was falling. On the ground, I found myself in an office filled with books of every kind and a pair of chairs, sitting opposite of each other. I recognized the office. It was Seeing Into Flames' Comforter's office.

"Good morning, Seeing Into Flames," a kindly looking woman asked, appearing from thin air on the green chair. "Please, sit down."

I sat, confusion clear on my face.

"So how are you feeling? Is Laurel still there?" the Comforter asked, looking down at a clipboard that wasn't there a moment ago.

I stared at the woman, with her gray, wiry hair pulled back into a tight bun and her soft brown eyes gazing at me expectantly. I opened my mouth but no words came out. I was confused.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" she asked, real concern in her voice.

Suddenly I found my voice. "I _am _Laurel."

The Comforter looked at me. "Laurel?"

"Yes," I said.

The Comforter's seemingly kind face twisted in rage, turning from kind old soul to furious monster. I cringed away as she flung the clipboard at me and stomped up to me.

"You said you weren't selfish, you said humans were alright," she snarled, "but what happened to Seeing Into Flames? She was thrown away like trash, like garbage."

"No, No," I whispered. "They said they sent her to a new planet."

"Do you believe them?"

I was suddenly angry. My friends wouldn't lie. The prospect was simply unthinkable, preposterous. "Yes, I do!" I snapped.

"Well, then how can you be so happy," she asked, "when other humans are still held prisoner to us body snatchers?"

The Comforter wasn't the Comforter anymore. She turned into my mother, tall and willowy with light blond hair just like mine. My mother looked at me with the same expectant look the Comforter had given me earlier.

"I dunno," I whispered, feeling ashamed.

"You are a disgrace, Laurel Ariana O'Shea," my mother said viciously. I didn't understand, why was my mother being so cruel?

"I-I-I'm s-sorry," I stuttered, but my mother's cruel and shameful expression didn't change.

"Don't be sorry," she spat venomously, "_do _something to change it."

"I will, I will!" I cried. "Please, I will."

"Now wake up, Laurel! Wake up!" her voice changed to someone else's. "Wake up!"

My eyes opened wide, and once again I found myself in the cave, drenched in sweat. Holly leaned over me, wearing a worried look that suited her kind soul. "Are you okay? You were screaming," she told me, true concern in her eyes.

I sat up, holding my hand to my head. "Umm… Yeah, yeah," I muttered. Holly nodded, smiled, and left the cave silently.

I took several deep breathes, trying to calm my nerves. It was the Dream. The Dream that had plagued me constantly over the past few weeks since I had arrived in the caves. It was persistent, leaking into my brain when I least expected it. And it was always the same though never in the same words.

I rubbed my eyes and took one last deep breath. Still the words filled my head, and though I told myself thousands of times that they didn't mean anything, my mind would always drift back to it, filling me with guilt and sadness. I knew I shouldn't dwell on it, but no matter how many times I shoved it away, it always came back, haunting me. But, in the back of my mind, I knew there was always an ounce of truth in a dream and this dream was no exception, denying it would be a waste of time.

Guilt-ridden, I dressed and went to breakfast. I was so consumed in my thoughts that I wasn't paying attention to where I was going, so, of course, I run straight into someone. We both toppled over, his book flying from his hand and my rubiks cube I always carried dropping to the ground.

"Oi!" I cried. "I'm so sorry."

"S'ok," Jamie said, picking up his book and leafing through the pages trying to find his spot. We both stood as I reached down to grab the colorful cube.

"What are you reading there?"

"A Midsummer Night's Dream. Sharon's told us we have to read at least _one _Shakespeare play before we die, so I chose this."

I stared at him, dumbfounded. "You haven't read any Shakespeare before this one?"

He nodded. I continued to stare at him as if he were insane. "Wow. Weird. I've read most of them. That one," I pointed to the book he held, "is one of my favorites."

"Really? Great! I chose a good one."

I smiled, he grinned. "Yup."

"So are you going to breakfast? I've just been there myself," Jamie asked as we both dusted off our clothes.

"Yes," I answered a little serenely. Already my mind was floating back to the Dream. I couldn't help it. It was like a sickness, once you had it; it was hard to get rid of.

"Hey, you okay, Laurel?" he asked. "You've been a bit spacey this past week."

"Sorry," I apologized, but it didn't sound wholly sincere. But I began walking away anyway. "I'm just… a little preoccupied. I'll see you later, okay?"

Jamie nodded as I turned away, leaving him as deep in thought as I was.

…

It was afternoon when I got the big news. I was in the kitchen kneading bread to bake tonight with Wanda. In the kitchen, it was silent except for the soft _squish_ from the kneaded bread and the even breathes of Wanda and me. Drenched in sweat, our shirts sticking to our backs, the sun glared down at our necks, tanning them until they were burnt.

My mind was on the Dream when Jamie came sprinting into the kitchen, a broad smile on his lips. Everyone knew this smile as the Jamie Smile. I liked it.

"Guess what, guys?" he asked, his voice squeaking from excitement. He was practically bouncing off the walls and it was like he was ten years old again.

"What?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. I placed the bread into a container and washed my hands; Wanda did the same. While we dried our hands on a towel, Jamie explained his excitement, "We're going on a raid! I don't know if you can, Laurel, you'd have to ask Jared, but Wanda, Jared, Ian, Kyle and me are going."

Wanda smiled, but she looked slightly suspicious. I realized one name hadn't been called. Melanie's. Why wasn't she going?

"Is that all?" Wanda asked.

"Yes, unless Laurel comes," he answered truthfully, but I couldn't help but think it was a half-truth. His eyes looked a little guilty.

"What about Melanie? Isn't she coming?" I asked, my eyebrows shooting up.

Jamie looked uncomfortable now, his eyes wouldn't meet mine and he kept twirling his fingers nervously. Wanda and I exchanged glances.

"Jamie," Wanda demanded. I never thought her sweet, light voice could sound forceful, but apparently I was wrong.

He squirmed. "She can't."

"Why not?" Wanda asked, both of our eyes narrowing.

"I'm not supposed to say," he whined.

We waited, giving him expectant looks. We were unrelenting, both of us curious why Melanie wasn't going. She usually was one who was incredibly enthused to go.

"Okay, okay. Melanie's… My sister's, erm, well, she's pregnant."

**A/N: Hope you liked it! I promise to update better; every week if I have time. Again, I'm super sorry about the wait!**


	7. Price to Pay

**A/N: Sorry for the late update. I will strive to be more adamant in updating although I can't promise it will be every week. Again, sorry! Hope you enjoy! **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own the **_**Host.**_

**Price to Pay:**

Big eruptions of happiness were never my specialty when it came to surprises and this time was no different. So when Jamie spoke those words, I was simply rendered speechless, because what was I supposed to say? Congrats, and good luck? No, not in this world. In this new, slightly less flexible world, babies were as welcome as axe murderers. Or at least in my opinion.

"Oh my goodness, Jamie!" Wanda cried merrily, her voice raising an octave out of sheer excitement. "How wonderful! You'll be uncle!"

Wanda beamed and soon so was Jamie. But I couldn't join the fun. For moment, I felt like someone punched me in the stomach, and I wasn't certain why. Why was I overreacting? Soon my breath became heavy and very little air made it into my lungs.

"Excuse me," I whispered, and then I dashed off.

As I disappeared out of the chamber, I heard the bewildered calls of both Jamie and Wanda, but I didn't turn around nor did I deter from my destination. I had to get out because, for the first time, the walls of the cave were much to close for me, much to daunting for my taste.

So I sprinted through the atrium and through a tunnel that I had not yet ventured. I couldn't be sure this tunnel led anymore but a dead end, yet I followed it anyway while my mind was filled with an unending tumult, ceaselessly grappling at me with a rigid grip. Why was I overacting? Am I such a baby myself I can't face news like this? Babies should be good news, should be delightful news actually.

Why am I overacting?

I ran and ran until my breath was all I could hear and the darkness was all I could see.

_How can you be happy when other humans are held prisoner to body snatchers?_

The thought appeared out of no where, unwelcoming and sending an unexpected hot flash through my body. I halted, trying to catch my breath. The next moment, I doubled over in pain and suddenly, I was lying on the cold dirt. Stifling hot sweat drenched my back and neck and within seconds, everything went black.

…

I awoke in warm sheets, feeling empty and clean. At first, I thought I thought most definitely I was in the infirmary, but then I realized this place was no cave. I sat up; the blankets fell from my chest.

I was in a delightful sea green room, complete with a mahogany dresser, a tall, reflective mirror, and a light that danced across the dark room. It was a quaint room, one that would belong to a child. Confusion, among other things, swept over me, looking at this strange place.

Where the heck am I? The thought consumed my mind as I lifted the covers from myself. I felt odd, smaller, and lighter. Climbing out of the bed, I stepped towards the mirror, my frozen feet warming on the cottony carpet. I peered into the mirror.

The face that awaited me wasn't my own; it wasn't even remotely close to my appearance let alone my age. The body I inhabited was a girl of nine years with thick blond locks that went to her elbows while large, round, blue eyes stared at me hauntingly in the reflection.

_Save me!_ The words popped clearly into my head as if they were spoken. _I have not lived a day in my life. All I have done is waste away in my own body. Save me. _

I froze, not even bothering to breath.

Who… Who are you? I asked within my head, a sick ache returning in my stomach. I was inexplicably reminded of Seeing Into Flames. What was happening?

_I'm Clary Marx… and I need saving and so does the rest of the world, Lauri._

What happened? How am I here? Why am I here?

_You're here because great minds like yours don't come without a price._

What? Comprehension escaped me. Clary Marx wasn't making any sense and how did she even know me; I have never in my life met someone by the name of Clary Marx.

_Please, Lauri, just remember me._

And then I dropped to the floor and blacked out once again.

…

"Laurel, Laurel," a voice along with a hand shook me to the land of cautiousness. "Are you okay? Laurel, wake up please."

I moaned, and turned in an uncomfortable bed.

"Lauri, wake up," another voice tried to wake me, shaking me a little more harshly than before.

I jerked up, and was immediately blinded by the light of the infirmary. Everyone was gawking at me, each with a worried look in their eyes. I looked at them all, trying to figure out what they were thinking and what happened. A strange silence lapsed through the hospital that was only broken by me.

"What's happened?" I asked my voice hoarse and shaky.

Ian was the one who answered. "You ran out… we found you unconscious."

"How long have I been out?"

"Not long, maybe an hour."

I looked around the group that encircled my cot, again.

"How are you feeling? Under any stress?" Doc inquired, reaching for my forehead. I flinched away; I received a raised eyebrow as a response.

"Lauri," Kyle caught my attention. "What happened? Why did you run? Jamie said he told you some news then you ran out."

"I-I," my face flushed, and I felt my blood pressure spike. "I—where's Jamie?"

They all looked at me as if I were some weird spectacle performing tricks that ought to impossible. I asked, again, more forcibly. "Where's Jamie?"

"He went to his room," Ian answered, his voice held a lot of questions, ones, at the moment, I wasn't willing to answer.

I tossed off my covers before anyone could protest and ran from the hospital. One name danced, tantalizing, in my head as I ran for Jamie.

_Clary Marx, who are you?_

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Reviews would be nice.**


	8. Crazy Talk

**A/N: Here's the next installment although as you can see it is not in Laurel's POV but in fact is in Jamie's POV. So enjoy and review, of course!**

**Crazy Talk:**

Sure, I was worried about Laurel, everyone was, but… something about it all didn't add up. Laurel wasn't the fainting type, and if someone even suggested she was, well, let's just say they wouldn't live to tell the tale. Not that Laurel was violent either. I sighed, knowing that it was more than just "stress" to this fainting.

Laurel was stressed, no doubt, but I knew she couldn't possibly have let that stress get to her like that because it just wasn't in her nature… or at least the nature I had come to know. I was walking up one of the few lit tunnels, hands in my pockets, deep in thought, when I heard someone yell.

"_James Stryder_!" the voice shouted from behind me. I turned around in surprise to find Laurel racing after me a hundred meters off. She ran with an elegant grace even with the desperate expression she wore. It took thirty seconds for her to reach me, and by then she was sporting a sweat that I knew wasn't just from the run. Her usual tanned skin had turned deathly white, her face gaunt with concentration and anxiety. As customary she wore her blond hair back in a ponytail away from her face, yet her eyes were lit up with apprehension rather than knowledge.

"What's wrong, Laurel? You feeling alright?" I inquired truly concerned. I scrunched up my eyebrows in wonder at the disheveled Laurel, a sight I could not get used to. She was breathing hard, resting her hands on her knees and bending over in exhaustion. She glanced up at me for a moment then looked back at the ground. Now I was really worried.

"I—" she paused for another deep breath. "Jamie… do you think I'm crazy?"

Now, that wasn't the response I'd expected. Did I think she was crazy? It's possible. Intelligent? Charming? Strange? Kind? Beautiful? All possible descriptions of the girl before me. But crazy? Again, possible, but maybe not in the way she thinks. I grinned.

"What kind of crazy? Awesome crazy or just plain creepy crazy?"

She opened her mouth to say something, but then realizing what I had said, she gave me a weird look. "I…I don't have a comeback for that… But creepy crazy?" her eyebrows rose high on her forehead. Her skin had gained back some of its color.

"You, Laurel, are most definitely _not _creepy crazy," I told her, and in return she gave me one her smirks. "But I daresay you are awesome crazy."

Laurel smiled, but then it disappeared as a shadow passed over her face as if she'd just remembered something. "I have to tell you something… James," she said darkly, all traces of humor written out of her face.

I nodded, my grin replaced with a look of interest. "What is it?"

Laurel closed her eyes and took a long breath and then exhaled slowly. Her eyes opened. "You know how I fainted… or whatever today?" I nodded. "Well, I've fainted before and that wasn't what it felt like… because I dreamed—oh, well it wasn't a dream, but it kind of was. Maybe it was an epiphany? Is that what you call it? Oh, I dunno; it was more like—"

"Laurel, you're rambling," I informed her patiently.

She just nodded and went on. "Anyway, in the dream/epiphany, I had become this little girl, not yet ten years old, but it was weird because… everything felt real. The cold floor, the warm blankets, everything! And the girl, she talked to me, she said, 'I need saving and so does the rest of the world,' but that isn't even the weird part, for some reason since I've woken up I _cannot_ _forget an address in Utah and I haven't even been to Utah!_ It's where Clary Marx lives, I can feel it, but what… what does it mean? Are you sure I'm not _another_ kind of crazy, James?"

I had never seen Laurel so decomposed with her eyes open wildly while she paced back in forth in front of me. I was at a loss for words at this enigma that was Laurel and the strange story she was claiming. A dream that's real? How absurd! But then… this whole alien apocalypse was absurd, so why shouldn't it be possible. The rational side of me—the smallest part—said that Laurel couldn't be any farther around the bend when it came to crazy talk. But the other side—the side the feelings for Laurel weren't wholly platonic—was saying she might just be psychic.

I shook my head to clear the contradicting thoughts before I answered. "Laurel, if you're crazy then that makes me even crazier. But this dream/epiphany does sound a bit sketchy, what's the address of said Clary Marx?"

She told him matter-of-factly. "And I have to save her from the aliens," she added with searching eyes; she wasn't convinced that I actually believed her.

"Ok," I said impulsively, the words just falling out of my mouth, "let's go save her."

Now, Laurel's eyebrows drew together skeptically. "Are you patronizing me?

"Of course not," I replied, holding my hands up in surrender. "I'm not even sure what patronizing means."

She rolled her eyes at me. "No one's going to believe, except you and you obviously need a reality check."

"Well, if an alien apocalypse possible, I'd be a hypocrite not to believe you," I notified her.

"Only you would have that logic, James."

"The name's Jamie," I retorted, but Laurel just laughed.

"James, Jamie, I don't see much difference."

I grumbled under my breath, but to tell you the truth, I liked it when she called me James.

"So what are we going to do? I mean, if I tell my brothers they'll just think I hit my head or something just as logical," she pouted, watching her foot kick at the dirt underneath us.

"If they won't let you go then we should…" I hesitated, uncertain what she would think of my plan.

She glanced up. "Are you suggesting we go alone?"

My palms began to sweat. "Whatever it takes, I guess."

Laurel turned away from me, unrevealing about her feelings of the master plan I'd drawn up. Although I was pretty sure of the master plan was the dumbest idea in the world, maybe.

"Just give it to me straight, Laurel, what do you think?"

For a moment the tunnel was absolutely silent save our breathing and then Laurel twisted back to face me. There was something glinting in her blue eyes, something mischievous and somehow amazingly dangerous. _Are you sure she hasn't gone off the deep end?_ A voice asked in my head. I ignored it, for this new glint that sparkled in her eyes sent my heart pounding.

"Call me crazy—and you already have—but, James, that might be the most brilliantly idiotic ideas on the planet," she replied with excitement.

"So are we going?" I asked still uncertain about her look.

Laurel grinned. "Of course. Why shouldn't we?"

I thought for a moment, not without my doubts. "Well, if I may be the voice of reason, what about school?"

"To hell with school," Laurel declared. "I already know more than Sharon—not to be cocky, of course, I'm sure she's very qualified—and besides we won't be gone that long. I just want to know if this dream/epiphany is real."

I never thought I'd ever hear those words pass her lips. She was always so precise and patient when it came to all things school. I stared at her dumbfounded. "Are you sure feeling alright?"

"I feel peachy!" she insisted, grinning. And the grin was so infectious I couldn't help but smile back. "When do you think we should go? We have to make sure we're methodical about this."

"Tomorrow night?" I suggested.

She beamed. "Act like nothing's going down, right?"

"Right," then she did the most unexpected thing. She kissed my cheek and ran off in a hurry. My cheeks flushed as I reached up to touch the spot where her lips touched my skin. I felt like I just asked her out on a date, queasy and relieved.

**A/N: Well, I hope you liked getting inside Jamie's head. Do you think I should do it again? Reviews would be just peachy! **


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